Camera and Lighting Basics

Exposure, framing and light that makes a subject watchable.

What the course covers

8 modules, 32 topics. Open any one to see what sits inside it.

1. 1.1 What the camera does that your eye does not
2. 1.2 Sensor, lens and the path of the image
3. 1.3 Camera types, and which to reach for
4. 1.4 Getting off automatic
1. 2.1 Aperture, shutter and ISO, together
2. 2.2 Reading a meter and a histogram
3. 2.3 Exposing for the part that matters
4. 2.4 High contrast and difficult light
1. 3.1 Focal length, and what it does to a face
2. 3.2 Depth of field
3. 3.3 Focus, and holding it while moving
4. 3.4 Prime and zoom, and choosing between them
1. 4.1 Shot sizes, and why each exists
2. 4.2 Composition and headroom
3. 4.3 Angle, height and eyeline
4. 4.4 Coverage: shooting enough to edit with
1. 5.1 Quality, direction and colour
2. 5.2 Hard light and soft light
3. 5.3 Colour temperature and white balance
4. 5.4 Reading the light already in a room
1. 6.1 Key, fill and back light
2. 6.2 Interview lighting setups
3. 6.3 Working with only one light
4. 6.4 Mixed and awkward sources
1. 7.1 Shooting outdoors, and with the sun
2. 7.2 Small spaces and reflective surfaces
3. 7.3 Power, batteries and cable safety
4. 7.4 Working fast when access is limited
1. 8.1 Tripods, monopods and handheld
2. 8.2 Gimbals and stabilised movement
3. 8.3 Camera movement that is motivated
4. 8.4 The checklist before you press record

By the end of this course you will be able to explain and apply:

Two hours, not two months Eight short modules. Finish in a day, or do one module a night for a week.

Job-ready from the first module Everything here is a task you will actually be asked to do at work, not theory you will never use.

Built for a phone Watch on the bus, pause mid-module, pick up where you stopped. No download, no lab.

A certificate that can be checked Every certificate carries an ID your college or an employer can verify on our site.

Pre-degree / Foundation students in India
Studying: BJMC, BA Journalism & Mass Communication, B.Sc. Animation & VFX, BA Film Studies
Recent graduates strengthening a CV
Anyone working in this field without a formal qualification

About two hours in total — eight modules of roughly fifteen minutes. You can do it in one sitting or spread it across a week. Your place is saved either way.
No. There is no prerequisite course and no software to install. A phone, tablet or computer with an internet connection is enough.
Yes. This course is placed at Pre-degree / Foundation for India, and the content is written for that level. If you are at a different stage, change your level at the top of the page and the courses will change with it.
A certificate for the course, carrying an ID that your college or an employer can check on our verification page. You keep access to the material afterwards.
Yes — ₹450 for this course on its own, or ₹1,450 for all five in this set, which works out cheaper if you want more than one.
There is a short quiz at the end of each module so you can check what stuck. It is not timed and you can retake it.
Change your country using the picker at the top. Level names, degree names and prices all switch to that country, and the courses adjust to its education system.

Wording shown for India. Pick a different country at the top and the terms, currency and programme names change with it.